This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Saturday's seven-game evening slate features just enough variety to accommodate almost any DFS strategy. The Suns-Nuggets rematch should provide plenty of fantasy goodness if Thursday's 127-120 clash is any indication, while production will be hard to come by in a battle of top three defenses in Utah. Read on for value plays from those games and the rest of the night's action:
GUARDS
Marcus Smart, BOS at MIL ($18): Smart has been the beneficiary of Avery Bradley's (Achilles) recent absence, and he is once again in position to capitalize on an expanded role with Bradley having already been ruled out. Bradley has now missed nine of the past 10 games while Smart has managed to significantly outperform his season average of 23.7 fantasy points per game by scoring 28.5 in the nine contests without Bradley. Keeping the good times rolling shouldn't be too difficult for the affordable guard against a Bucks team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to backcourts over the past five games.
Eric Bledsoe, PHO vs. DEN ($39): Bledsoe has averaged 46.5 fantasy points per contest over his past six while topping 40.0 five times in that span. The athletic point guard had 28 points and five assists in just 28 minutes Thursday in Denver, and he should be good for another excellent performance in the rematch at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Bledsoe's playing time should bounce back closer to his season average of 33 minutes per game with no thin air to worry about, and he still gets to go against one of the two non-Suns defenses allowing at least 111 points per game this season.
Guard to Avoid
Mike Conley, MEM at UTA ($35): Conley has been held under 30.0 fantasy points in four of his past six games, and he now has to go on the road to face the league's best defense in the second game of a back-to-back. Even a fresh and hot Conley would be a long shot to succeed against a Jazz team that has held visitors to just 93.2 at Vivint Smart Home Arena, so you can forget about using him while he's mired in a slump and playing less than 24 hours after having to chase Portland's Damian Lillard around the 3-point line all night.
FORWARDS
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs. BKN ($31): Wiggins has averaged 37.5 fantasy points and 25.8 points per game over his past four games, and he should have no problem scoring at a high rate against the lowly Nets. He lit Brooklyn's defense up for 36 points and 49.6 fantasy points in their last meeting back on Nov. 8, which shouldn't be surprising considering the Nets have allowed more fantasy points per game to small forwards than any other team. Throw in the fact that Brooklyn will have to travel after playing in Cleveland on Friday while Wiggins and his teammates will be rested, and you get the ideal environment for a strong performance out of the talented wing.
Jon Leuer, DET at MIA ($17): Leuer hasn't missed a beat since returning from a knee injury last Saturday, having scored at least 25.3 fantasy points in both consequent appearances while playing right around his season average of 27 minutes per game. His consistent contributions in the scoring and rebounding department mean Leuer doesn't need to rely on highly volatile steals and blocks output to provide value like many of the players in his price range, making him a safe but effective play in this matchup with a Heat team that could be without the inside presence of Hassan Whiteside (ankle). Even if Whiteside plays, Leuer's ability to connect from midrange and beyond gives him some extra upside against a defense that has allowed the seventh-highest shooting percentage to power forwards at 47.9 percent.
Forward to Avoid
James Johnson, MIA vs. DET ($22): Johnson has been held below 21.0 fantasy points in four of his past five games while failing to break double-digits in points scored over that span. The bench forward is unlikely to see any uptick in scoring against a Pistons defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest points per game, and his lack of upside makes Johnson an unappealing play given his moderately expensive price.
CENTER
DeAndre Jordan, LAC at GS ($31): Jordan has outscored his price in seven consecutive games while averaging 44.3 fantasy points per contest over that span. His rebounding is solid as usual at 14.0 per game, and he has also displayed some offensive chops with at least 18 points in half of his past 10 appearances. Jordan's size and rebounding represents one of the few advantages the Clippers possess over the Warriors, so expect him to be active on the glass as usual while possibly picking up a few extra cheap points via fouls.
Tyson Chandler, PHO vs. DEN ($17): Don't let Chandler's off night Thursday against Denver deter you, as he's still averaging 32.2 fantasy points per game in his past 10 even after factoring in his measly 15.5 from that performance. The veteran big man will get an opportunity to get revenge on those same Nuggets, and he is likely to see closer to the 34 minutes he had averaged in his previous six games than the 23 he played in Thursday's loss. All signs point to Thursday's clunker being a one-off slip-up that Chandler will have no problem rebounding from at home, especially with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (hip) unable to play after manhandling the veteran last time out.
Center to Avoid
Rudy Gobert, UTA vs. MEM ($31): Gobert has failed to record a double-double in any of his past three games after getting that accomplishment in each of the previous four, and reaching double-digits in any category will be difficult Saturday. Marc Gasol and the stingy Grizzlies defense won't make it easy for him to get back on track after limiting centers to a league-low 38.7 fantasy points per game this season and 38.2 in the past five games. Memphis is stingy in both the scoring and rebounding departments, as they're just one of three teams to hold opponents below 100 points per game and have also allowed the 10th-fewest rebounds per game at 42.8.
